Houston, Minn.

Owl admirers can still register for activities offered during the International Festival of Owls on March 6-8 at the Houston High School and the Houston Nature Center. Guests can meet Ruby the great horned owl and birding experts, try their hooting skills, take a birding and natural history bus tour, build an owl nest box, dissect owl pellets and more. Hours and fees vary (festivalof­owls.com).

Bayfield, Wis.

A day of winter fun is on tap for visitors at the Bayfield Winterfest on March 7. The festival includes outdoor activities that will get you moving around the community, including a poker run where attendees will visit local establishments to pick up a poker card for a chance to win prizes, the always popular Polar Plunge, live music, a fat tire bike ride on Lake Superior (weather permitting) and candlelight snowshoeing and Nordic skiing (headlamp suggested) for all ages at Mount Ashwabay (tinyurl.com/wzhkd46).

Duluth & New Ulm, Minn.

Two bock fests (community German festivals) will be held to celebrate the approach of spring. During Bock Fest on March 7 at the August Schell Brewery in New Ulm, festivalgoers can enjoy beer, music and search for special bocks (wooden goat heads) hidden in the brewery and in nearby Flandrau State Park. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $10 (schellsbrewery.com/events/bock-fest). More beer, food and fun awaits attendees at Fitger's Bock Fest, April 2-4 in Duluth. Most activities will happen on Sat., including a bock hunt, a volksmarch, eating and drinking contests and a plunge into Lake Superior (tinyurl.com/r5g7qk9).

Colleen A. Coles